Sunday, February 14, 2010

Matters of the heart...

♥ Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. ♥

Last night, our youth group held a sweetheart banquet at church, to raise money for our snow tubing trip next month. It was a lot of fun, even though I was exhausted by the time it was over. I was also reminded of why I don't wear those cute shoes very often. We decorated everything in hearts and pink and red and white. After the spaghetti meal, my dad hosted a game with four couples, asking questions as to how well they know each other. It was very funny, with questions from "Where was your first date?" to "What kind of flower would you describe your wife as?/What kind of car would you describe your husband as?" =) The pastor and his wife won, beating my cousin and his wife by 1 point. I got to choose the background music for the evening, and I used the "Pride and Prejudice" soundtrack (with a few of the country dancing songs deleted). I wanted to sneak in a few Sinatra/1940's songs that I think are romantic, but I wasn't sure how everyone else would feel about them.

My day has consisted of church, too much chocolate, and chick flicks. I started watching "Emma" yesterday and finished it today, and it was even lovelier than the first time (I think the DVD has a few extended scenes and one added scene that wasn't on PBS...there was some dialogue that I didn't remember from the first time). I'm watching "Pride and Prejudice" now. I know I watched it not long ago, but it's one of my traditions to watch it every Valentine's Day. I usually indulge in a large bowl of ice cream sometime during the movie, so that may be in my future this evening.

I'm not one of those single girls who bitterly despises Valentine's Day. I actually like it a lot. It gives me a real excuse to watch chick flicks and overload on chocolate. Love, relationships, and boys fascinate me. I like to observe them. I know I don't write about those things very much here (apart from the occasional Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley swoon). That's probably because it's more appropriate for my real journal. I like Valentine's Day, but I think I would like it far better if I had Mr. Right to spend it with. I am attempting to be patient and wait for God's perfect timing for bringing these things about. I know, deep down, that I'm not quite ready yet. But I am often discouraged by the young men around me. Most of them are such shady characters that I know I couldn't date them. And even the few "nice" guys I know are...would it be so terrible to use the word "goobers?" I'm referring to a general lack of common sense. I embrace cleverness. Mr. Knightley says that men of sense do not want silly wives...Well, I say that women of sense do not want silly husbands. I should probably stop now before I begin to sound heartless. But even the threat of being an old maid (which is a frightening thought to me-how ridiculous that must sound at 18) could not persuade me to settle for a Mr. Collins or Mr. Elton.

Let me just say that I am one of those girls who is trusting God to write me a love story far better than I could imagine...even better than Lizzie and Darcy's. Valentine's Day is a perfect reminder for me to look at myself, who I am and who I should be, and to pray for my future husband. And to realize what true love really looks like:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8